Toxin

Type VI CRISPR-Cas systems are among the few CRISPR varieties that target exclusively RNA. The CRISPR RNA-guided, sequence-specific binding of target RNAs, such as phage transcripts, activates the type VI effector, Cas13. Once activated, Cas13 causes collateral RNA cleavage, which induces bacterial cell dormancy, thus protecting the host population from the phage spread. We show here that the principal form of collateral RNA degradation elicited by Leptotrichia shahii Cas13a expressed in Escherichia coli cells is the cleavage of anticodons in a subset of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) with uridine-rich anticodons...

Early monitoring of Microcystis, a cyanobacterium that produces microcystin, is paramount in order to confirm the presence of Microcystis spp. Both phenotypic and genotypic methods have been used. The phenotypic methods provide the presence of the microcystis but do not confirm its species type and toxin produced. Additionally, phenotypic methods cannot differentiate toxigenic from non-toxigenic Microcystis. Therefore, the current protocol also describes genetic methods based on PCR to detect toxigenic Microcystis spp...

UNLABELLED: The identification of pathogens is essential for effective surveillance and outbreak detection, which lately has been facilitated by the decreasing cost of whole-genome sequencing (WGS). However, extracting relevant virulence genes from WGS data remains a challenge. In this study, we developed a web-based tool to predict virulence-associated genes in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), which is a major concern for human and animal health. The database includes genes encoding the heat-labile toxin (LT) ( eltA and eltB ), heat-stable toxin (ST) ( est ), colonization factors CS1 through 30, F4, F5, F6, F17, F18, and F41, as well as toxigenic invasion and adherence loci ( tia , tibAC , etpBAC , eatA , yghJ , and tleA )...

Gut microbiota interacts with host epithelial cells and regulates many physiological functions such as genetics, epigenetics, metabolism of nutrients, and immune functions. Dietary factors may also be involved in the etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC), especially when an unhealthy diet is consumed with excess calorie intake and bad practices like smoking or consuming a great deal of alcohol. Bacteria including Fusobacterium nucleatum, Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), and Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) actively participate in the carcinogenesis of CRC...

This investigation explores the various impacts that polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) have on human health. As most of the plastic materials affect human health when they release leachable toxic substances that affect human health, this causes a negative effect that determines poor health conditions and leads to health hazards associated with plastic toxins routed in the human body, such as: Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Polybrominated Biphenyls etc. The study includes micro-plastic exposure assessment on testicular structure analysis, and cytotoxicity evaluations of different human cell types...

Brain fluid clearance by pathways including the recently described paravascular glymphatic system is a critical homeostatic mechanism by which metabolic products, toxins, and other wastes are removed from the brain. Brain fluid clearance may be especially important after traumatic brain injury (TBI), when blood, neuronal debris, inflammatory cells, and other substances can be released and/or deposited. Using a non-invasive dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) method that models the rate at which an intravenously injected radiolabeled molecule (in this case 11 C-flumazenil) is cleared from ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), we estimated the overall efficiency of brain fluid clearance in humans who had experienced complicated-mild or moderate TBI 3-6 months before neuroimaging ( n  = 7) as compared to healthy controls ( n  = 9)...

INTRODUCTION: The Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex, or Acb complex, consists of six species: Acinetobacter baumannii, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Acinetobacter nosocomialis, Acinetobacter pittii, Acinetobacter seifertii , and Acinetobacter lactucae . A. baumannii is the most clinically significant of these species and is frequently related to healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) arrays and associated genes ( cas ) constitute bacterial adaptive immune systems and function as variable genetic elements...

Periodontal ligament (PDL) cells play a crucial role in maintaining periodontal integrity and function by providing cell sources for ligament regeneration. While biophysical stimulation is known to regulate cell behaviors and functions, its impact on epigenetics of PDL cells has not yet been elucidated. Here, we aimed to investigate the cytoskeletal changes, epigenetic modifications, and lineage commitment of PDL cells following the application of stretch stimuli to PDL. PDL cells were subjected to stretching (0...

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a prevalent toxin causing severe liver damage through hepatocellular oxidative stress. However, the underlying mechanisms and effective therapeutic approaches remain unknown. Here, the unique role of the xenobiotic metabolism factor pregnane X receptor (PXR) in mediating DON-induced hepatocellular oxidative stress is investigated. Treatment with the PXR agonist 3-indole-propionic acid (IPA) alleviates DON-induced oxidative stress and liver injury both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, it is discovered for the first time that PXR agonist IPA directly transactivates the m6 A demethylase FTO expression, leading to site-specific demethylation and decreased abundance of YTHDC1-bound Malat1 lncRNA at single-nucleotide resolution...

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Trigger and functional substrate are related to the tone of autonomic nervous system, and the role of the autonomic nerve is more significant in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to non-paroxysmal AF. We have several options for neuromodulation to help to manage patients with AF. Neuromodulation targets can be divided into efferent and afferent pathways. On the efferent side, block would be an intuitive approach. However, permanent block is hard to achieve due to completeness of the procedure and reinnervation issues...

In human pregnancy, metformin administered to the mother crosses the placenta resulting in metformin exposure to the fetus. However, the effects of metformin exposure on the fetus are poorly understood and difficult to study in humans. Pregnant sheep are a powerful large animal model for studying fetal physiology. The objective of this study was to determine if maternally administered metformin at human dose-equivalent concentrations crosses the ovine placenta and equilibrates in the fetal circulation. To test this, metformin was administered to the pregnant ewe via continuous intravenous infusion or supplementation in the drinking water...

BACKGROUND: Because of its unique advantages, frontal expansion has become a common tool for Asian nasal reconstruction, but it has the limitations of prolonging the duration and pain in the expansion area. Based on the fact that the denervation effect of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) has been widely used in the reconstruction of superficial organs, we hypothesized that BTX-A would shorten the length of nasal reconstruction sequence and alleviate the discomfort of patients. METHODS: A comparative retrospective study was conducted of consecutive patients underwent sequential treatment of nasal reconstruction between June 2010 and July 2012...

ANTXR1 is one of two cell surface receptors mediating the uptake of the anthrax toxin into cells. Despite substantial research on its role in anthrax poisoning and a proposed function as a collagen receptor, ANTXR1's physiological functions remain largely undefined. Pathogenic variants in ANTXR1 lead to the rare GAPO syndrome, named for its four primary features: Growth retardation, Alopecia, Pseudoanodontia, and Optic atrophy. The disease is also associated with a complex range of other phenotypes impacting the cardiovascular, skeletal, pulmonary and nervous systems...

BACKGROUND: Urinary drainage for posterior urethral valves can be achieved with valve ablation (VA) or diversion by vesicostomy (VES) or cutaneous ureterostomy (CU). The effect of these interventions on long-term bladder function remains debated, and voiding symptomatology after VES or CU reversal has been poorly characterized. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and scope of physician treatment patterns as a surrogate for retention or incontinence symptomatology among PUV patients undergoing primary VA or diversion by VES/CU and determine rates of progression to augmentation...

Up to 25% of patients recovering from antibiotic-treated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) develop functional symptoms reminiscent of Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome (PI-IBS). For patients with persistent symptoms following infection, a clinical dilemma arises as to whether to provide additional antibiotic treatment or to adopt a conservative symptom-based approach. Here, we review the literature on CDI-related PI-IBS and compare the findings with PI-IBS. We review proposed mechanisms, including the role of C...

Flutamide is frequently used in the management of prostate cancer, hirsutism, and acne. It is a non-steroidal anti-androgenic drug and causes hepatotoxicity. The current study's objective is to evaluate sophorin's hepatoprotective effectiveness against flutamide-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Sophorin is a citrus flavonoid glycoside, also known as rutin, which is a low molecular weight polyphenolic compound with natural antioxidant properties and reported to have promising hepatoprotective efficacy...

OBJECTIVE: The precise indications for employing the anterior component separation technique (ACST) and the Transversus Abdominis Release (TAR) in abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR) remain uncertain, despite the undeniable value of both techniques. The aim of this study was to analyze the anterior fascial closure rate, postoperative wound morbidity, and hernia recurrence rate for both procedures according to the algorithm used for complex AWR. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was carried out...

BACKGROUND: Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease caused by superantigen-producing Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Staphylococcal TSS received special attention from 1978 to 1981, when an epidemic was observed associated with the use of hyper-absorbent tampons. Today the disease is rare and generally not related to menstruation, but can occur postpartum or in post-surgical wounds, intrauterine devices (IUDs), burns or other soft tissue injuries, mastitis or other focal infections...

Inhibitory G alpha (GNAI or Gαi) proteins are critical for the polarized morphogenesis of sensory hair cells and for hearing. The extent and nature of their actual contributions remains unclear, however, as previous studies did not investigate all GNAI proteins and included non-physiological approaches. Pertussis toxin can downregulate functionally redundant GNAI1, GNAI2, GNAI3, and GNAO proteins, but may also induce unrelated defects. Here, we directly and systematically determine the role(s) of each individual GNAI protein in mouse auditory hair cells...